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September 5, 2012

Insanely Delicious Turtle Cookies

Absolutely no words to describe how insanely delicious these cookies are.

Honestly, THE best cookies I've ever had. Of course, when a recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen, I expect no less.

Soft, chocolate-y, pecan-y cookie filled with smooth-&-creamy caramel. Oh, and drizzled with chocolate drizzle if you so desire. (I so desired. So I added a touch of chocolate drizzle to the original recipe.)

'Nuff said.

I think I'll just let the pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

And these insanely delicious beauties are actually pretty easy to make.

Whip up a chocolate dough. Chill it and roll scoops of it into balls.

Dip each ball in egg whites, ...

... and pecans, ...

... squish an indentation in the middle, and then bake.

Melt some caramel candies and cream together, ...

... and put a dollop of caramel in each cookie's indentation.

Yum.

You could stop there. But I didn't.

Melt some semi-sweet chocolate with a tiny bit of shortening. I just put these in a zip-top baggie and place the baggie in a bowl of warm water until melty.

Then gently massage the baggie until the chocolate is melted and ready for drizzling.

Snip a very tiny hole in the corner of the zip-top baggie and drizzle away.

2. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla; mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined.

3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

4. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy. Place chopped pecans in another bowl. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, and then roll in pecans. Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.

5. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.

Prepare the Caramel Filling:
6. Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Once cookies are removed from the oven, gently re-press the indentations. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Chocolate Drizzle (optional):
8. Place chocolate and shortening in a small zip-top plastic bag. Set bag in a bowl of warm water to soften. Gently knead the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed.

9. Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag. Drizzle chocolate over the cooled Turtle Cookies.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Enjoy!

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Enjoy these other favorite cookies from The Kitchen is My Playground ...

These look amazing! The only problem for me would be to stop eating them. Pinned! I will definitely try these soon. I'd love for you to share this at my link party on Tuesday. Racheladventuresofadiymom.blogspot.com

Hello! These look fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing on Marvelous Mondays. This recipe tied for the most viewed link on this week's party so I will be featuring it on my blog this weekend. Be sure to stop by and check out the features post!

I used heavy cream in the little carton from the dairy aisle of the grocery story ... or you could use half-and-half, from the same spot in the store. I used Crisco shortening in the chocolate drizzle. Enjoy, Darleen! Thanks so much for reading The Kitchen is My Playground!

These look delicious!! Do you think you could make the cookies ahead of time, and then freeze them? I do a Christmas cookie exchange, but usually need around 10 doz cookies. If I could bake the cookie part and freeze them, Then closer to the day I could do the caramel.

These ARE delicious! I absolutely love them. While I haven't tried it, I DO think you could make the cookie part ahead of time and freeze them, and then add the caramel later ... right when you need the cookies. I definitely wouldn't freeze them with the caramel in them! If you give it a try, please let me know how it goes. Enjoy!!

My husband loved these and thought I had done something really bad..... this is a receipe that I will use for years. The only thing I will do next time is double it. It didn't make enough for all the little hands in the jar!!!

I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed these, Lisa! I agree with doubling the recipe ... these 'get-gone' REALLY fast. Thanks so much for stopping back by and letting me know how these worked out for you!

LOL! Isn't that spoon gorgeous?? That measuring spoon set was a gift from my best friend, so I'm not sure where she got it. But I did a quick internet search, and found them here:http://www.distinctive-decor.com/tin-woodsman-pewter-bamboo-measuring-spoons.htmlIsn't the internet wonderful?!Enjoy the cookies!

These are just stunning and I can almost taste them your pictures are so good. Of course, I'll have to make them just to try it out. I hope you will share them at my Holiday Cookie Exchange: http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/2012-cookie-exchange-cookies-and-memories/

I just made these and was so unhappy with the result, so I tried again...same thing...They just go to flat cookies when I bake them, they do not keep their shape. I even chilled the second batch again for an hour after they were rolled, before I baked them, but they didn't keep the shape....they taste good, but not like the picture. Maybe not enough flour? Any suggestions?

I hate they didn't work for you! I've never had them 'go flat' ... Did you use real butter, or a substitute? Sometimes margarine behaves differently than butter when baking. The only other things I can think are --- perhaps your butter was too softened ... it should be just barely softened, not room temperature OR the dough wasn't chilled enough prior to rolling/baking ... though you said you DID chill it even after rolling the balls to bake. Other than that, I'm stumped!

I chilled them for about 4h, and only used real butter,land o lakes, for the first and Costco's for the second. When they were warm I just "pushed them into the shape again. I made them again...(ok, so I'm a bit obsessive) and after rolling them into balls, I didn't dip in the egg whites, just pressed the balls into the nuts and the stuck perfectly...then I didn't press like you did with the spoon, I just stuck my finger in them and made a hole, but still keeping them in the "ball" shape. Then I chilled them again for an hour and baked. The almost looked like yours, a bit flatter, but still had the "dip" in the middle. As for freezing them, we did, even with the caramel and they are fine! The caramel firms up but when you take them out it goes right back to how they should be! The caramel is still sticky, so I just put a small square of parchment paper over the top and then in a small zipper bag, while they were frozen, and sent them to lunch with my kids for school. They were thawed by then and they ate them! I also didn't drizzle with chocolate...my oldest asked if I could dip them in it, so I melted a bit of milk and semi sweet chips together and dip just the bottom of the cookies in them to about 1/4 of the way up the sides. placed on parchment to harden...and he loved them! Some I dipped and let harden upside down ( the place for the caramel face down) then after the chocolate was set, filled with caramel. Even if they don't turn out like yours, my family LOVES them and we will keep making them! Thanks!

I'm so glad you got a result your family loves! Dipping them in chocolate sounds fabulous. And thank you so much for the information about freezing them ... I wouldn't have thought the caramel would have held up through the freezing and thawing process, but am glad to know that it does!

I just found this on Pinterest and made these this morning! They are AWESOME! Your recipe is bang-on - 12 minutes was a perfect baking time (and I'm usually super conservative about baking times). A couple things I found helpful: 1) Roll all of the dough balls and set on a plate before starting to coat with the egg whites and pecans. This will keep your hands from turning into pecan-coated disasters. 2) When coating with the pecans, very gently press the pecans into the dough. This will help them to stick. 3) If your half-teaspoon sticks to the dough while making the indentations, wet the spoon just slightly. This will keep it from sticking.

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My tastebuds thank you but my thighs do not. :)

How does the caramel set? Does it stay soft? Any ideas how these freeze? I get going on Christmas cookies & love any that can freeze & thaw out yummy. Just wondering how much ahead of the holidays these can be made. Thank you for any other info!!

The caramel stays soft ... nice and creamy soft. I haven't tried freezing these yet, but another reader was going to try freezing the baked cookie ... prior to putting the caramel in ... and then add the caramel after thawing the cookie part later. I'm thinking that could work for a make-ahead option. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes.

OHH sooo excited! Do you think macadamia nuts would work ok instead of pecans? Also wondering if chilling after baking would set the caramel? I would like to give as teacher gifts so dont want a runny center! Thanks heaps :)

I love all the variation ideas! Sure, I think macadamias would work. Chilling will temporarily set the caramel, but it will 'go back' to soft-set once the cookies come back to room temperature. A couple of readers have commented that they placed wax paper between the layers of cookies, and it seemed to work okay. For me, I transported these in single layers to be on the safe side.Enjoy!! (P.S. ... as a 1st grade teacher, I know I would LOVE to get these as a teacher gift!)

Do you think if I added less cream to the Carmel it would stiffen up more? I was thinking of making these for a cookie exchange and with the amount I would have to make, they would have to be stacked on top of each other.

The caramel probably would stiffen up a bit more with less cream ... my worry is that it wouldn't be 'fluid' enough to spoon into the indentation. You could give it a try, and then just add in a bit more cream if the caramel won't 'flow.' Enjoy!

Tomorrows the big day! every year about 15 of us do a cookie exchange and we all bring 4 dozen and put them on the dining room table and start picking what we want..... This is the first time making from scratch like this so im excited but nervous. They look sooo good and if they taste half as good im gonna get best cookie of the season!!

Hi There,Made these cookies today and I found them quite squishy after baking for the 12 minutes so I added approx 5 more minutes and still found them kind of squishy, are they supposed to be soft when they come out of the oven?

Do you think it's ok to freeze the dough overnight? I'm a second grade teacher, and making these with my class for our school's annual cookie contest. It'd be so much easier if I could make the dough at home tonight, refrigerate it, then roll the cookies out with my class and bake tomorrow. Can't wait to try them!

My cookies turned out flat and a mess. :( But I am going to try again tomorrow with the added tips from a previous comment. Just so I am clear, is it just one egg yolk that actually goes into the batter and then the two egg whites for dipping?

I screwed up (doubled the recipe) and accidentally forgot to separate the egg... so I used two whole eggs instead of two egg yolks... oops. hopefully, as they weren't the largest eggs, they turn out ok :p I did refrigerate the dough overnight so that might help :p

I'm sorry ... I don't. The only thing I can think of is to use jarred caramel ice cream topping (if you can get that in the UK) and mix a tad of flour in it to thicken it up a bit ... use about 1 tablespoon of flour for about a 1/4 cup of caramel ice cream topping. That MAY work!

I just made these and they are wonderful! But can you tell me what the texture is suppose to be like? I cooked mine for 12 minutes and after cooling they are very soft, like a very moist brownie (I used 1 inch balls of dough like stated in your recipe). EIther this texture is right or I undercooked them? I'd love to know so I can perfect these! Thanks!

They should be 'firmer' than a very moist brownie ... still soft, but not gooey. Perhaps the balls were a tad bigger than 1 inch, or perhaps they just needed to go a touch longer in the oven. But I'm sure they still tasted great!!

Oh lord...I just made these today and THEY WERE AMAZING!!!! I was worried as a couple other comments said they came out flat, but mine didn't at all. Looked just like your pretty photos. Also, I don't believe it was a refrigeration issue since mine chilled for the time called, but were out of the fridge for quite a while before shaping and baking. Thank you so much...I think I will be making these for many holidays to come!

I don't think that would be a problem at all. If the dough seems too stiff to be workable after overnight refrigeration, just leave it on the counter for about 10 to 15 minutes to 'soften' a tad.Enjoy!

I'm sure these cookies are AMAZING and everything, but I actually thought to myself as I was scrolling "stop posting pictures of these cookies" because they looked SO good! The pictures are awesome :) I can't bear to not have these on my cookie trays, I am so making these.I know this may not be the appropriate place to write this, but I just saw in the comments that you're a teacher, can I just say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you? It shouldn't take an absolute tragedy like the one that just occurred for us to realize how important teachers are, but I can't stop thanking every teacher I see. Not only do teachers give up so much extra money, unpaid hours, and so much emotional support, but they literally would (and have) risked their lives for their students. I can't think of a more selfless and under-appreciated career. You are literally shaping our future, so thank you.

Oh, Shauna! ... thank you so much for your very kind, heartfelt words. I absolutely love teaching and love my students. It's a second career for me, and changing to become a teacher is the best career decision I ever made. I truly, truly appreciate your 'thank you!!'

Sarah,I've never tried to make them eggless ... but I do know there's a powdered egg substitute sold in the baking aisle at the grocery store that you mix with water. It's supposed to replace eggs ... but I can't vouch for its baking performance. Have you ever tried that? If you give it a go with these cookies, please let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

I made these cookies for the second time this week, they were so amazing! My 6 year old had fun helping by dipping the dough in egg and nuts. :)

A couple of questions - the cookies were stuck to the pan, probably from my pressing them to make the indentation in the middle. Do you grease your cookie sheet or line with parchment paper when you make them?Second - I made a double batch this evening (Wed), do you think they'd still be good for a party on Sat evening? Not sure if I should freeze them for that small amount of time.

Sorry I'm just seeing this comment on Saturday, so I didn't get back to you in time for your Saturday party question! But to answer anyway ... Yes, I think they'd be totally fine without freezing them from Wednesday to Saturday (though don't start eating any ... 'cause I doubt there'll be any LEFT by Saturday if you do!). I do not grease my cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper, though I should. I think parchment or a Silpat is the best way to go. Enjoy!

My husband brought these to a meeting he had at work. When he saw one of his co-workers again, she said she had dreams about these cookies they were so delicious ~ AND THEY ARE! They're definitely on my list for my yearly Christmas cookies!

Great minds think alike! I actually did that for Valentine's Day & rolled them in Valentine sprinkles instead of pecans. Totally yummy. Here's the link if you'd like to check them out ... http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2013/01/chocolate-valentine-kiss-cookies.html

The salted caramel sounds delicious, Susan. Such a great idea. And thank you soooo much for the kind and encouraging words about my photos! ... It's the part of blogging I'm least comfortable with, so very much appreciate the compliment.

I am making these now and I am making the caramel from scratch (I read in previous comments people were looking for substitutes) I found this awesome recipe http://www.justataste.com/2012/02/salted-caramels/

I am going to just spoon out the hot caramel into the cookie pool and what is left over pour into a pan for the squares. This is a no fail recipe that I have adapted to make pralines, left off the salt on top and topped with toasted coconut, poured over toasted nuts, drizzled chocolate over, you are only limited by your imagination...I have to give it all away otherwise I can't stop going into the kitchen for more.

Ok...clearly I'm the only one confused here... But can you explain the use of eggs? The listing says one egg plus egg white but am I just supposed to use the whites in the batter (or just one egg white in the batter and the rest for dipping)? Can you clarify please?

Isn't that spoon pretty?? That measuring spoon set was a gift from my best friend, so I'm not sure where she got it. But I did a quick internet search, and found them here:http://www.distinctive-decor.com/tin-woodsman-pewter-bamboo-measuring-spoons.html Oh, and I've also enjoyed this cookie recipe rolled in sprinkles INSTEAD of nuts and it's still delicious!!

Just found this recipe and have a question -- does the caramel dry/harden a bit, or does it stay liquidy/gooey? I'd like to add this to my cookie trays this year, but if it's too messy or sloppy other cookies will stick to them.

I am making these for a cookie swap this weekend, but could only find the caramel bits to melt, not the square ones in the wrapper. Do you happen to know how much caramel there is after it is melted? Like 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, etc.. I understand if not.

Thanks for sharing this recipe. Mine didn't turn out picture worthy, but I will try again!!! I used Heath (without chocolate) pieces instead of pecans because my mother is allergic to nuts. I ended up with 2 dozens cookies. I agree with the early posts about rolling all the dough then putting in the egg and nuts.

One of my favorite recipes! Everything was perfection! Hubby brought them to work & his co-workers are convinced I shouldopen a bakery. LoL. I double or triple the batter, roll them into a log & refrigerate (up to 5 days) or freeze the dough....then slice, dip, roll & bake :) perfect every time. Thanks for such a yummy treat!!

How does the caramel set? Does it stay soft? Any ideas how these freeze? I get going on Christmas cookies & love any that can freeze & thaw out yummy. Just wondering how much ahead of the holidays these can be made. Thank you for any other info!!

My cookies came out very dry. I used Splenda instead of sugar, but that's the only difference. I made sure to use one egg yolk only in the batter. It did not look like your picture. Any suggestions? Should I use more butter next time?

I would think that using Splenda would change how the dough behaves. More butter would make them spread, so I don't suggest increasing the butter. I would try them with granulated sugar, and see if that was indeed the difference.

Thank you for this great recipe! As echoed here, I made these cookies as soon as I found the recipe. My husband who doesn't like sweets, couldn't stop eating them. I did make homemade salted caramel and they were delicious! However, the cookies were a bit dry. Would it make a difference if I used one whole egg in the batter? Why just the yolk? Thanks again!

I'm glad you husband enjoyed them! Using a whole egg would make the cookies rise more and have less of an indentation for the caramel, so I wouldn't suggest using a whole egg. Perhaps bake the cookies for about a minute less ... different ovens have slightly different temperatures, and the oven may have run just a touch hot. Enjoy!

Made these today, they were very good! Thank you for the gorgeous and inspiring pictures that prompted me to make the recipe! There's something about the way the caramel glistens in the middle of the cookie that is seductive and catches the eye. I'm not the best at making perfect looking cookies, but these came out looking very similar to the pictures. Pecans really are better when chopped mostly very fine. Baked for 12 minutes at 350 in my oven, which seems to be very true to temperature, and the texture was good, a bit of softness but not too much. No falling apart or anything.

Isn't it beautiful? That measuring spoon set was a gift from my best friend ... so sweet. I use them ALL the time. Here is a link to the set on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Crosby-Taylor-Measuring-without-Display/dp/B00ESYX48O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417442921&sr=8-1&keywords=pewter+bamboo+measuring+spoons

I made these for a cookie exchange and won 1st place for the most delicious cookies. They came out just as the pictures show and are so delicious. I am making more today for my husband because everyone at the party took my extras.

Wow, these cookies are delicious!!! Mine came out looking just like the pictures. I'm wondering if those who had a problem with their dough spreading took too long with the egg/nut/ indentation steps and the dough warmed too much? It makes a small batch so I would advise doubling it at least if you are making them for other people because you're seriously going to want to eat 1/2 a batch yourself. Another trick I discovered is to use one hand to roll the dough ball in egg and then the other hand to roll it in the nuts. This way you don't end up with nuts stuck all over your fingers and it your egg bowl.

I love your comments. I read and appreciate each and every one. Thank you so much for visiting The Kitchen is My Playground! {NOTE: Captcha word verification is on to turn away the 'spambots' ... I apologize for the commenting inconvenience!}